Celebrating Halloween for Vegan Kids

When I was a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. What kid didn’t love dressing up and collecting candy? My brother and I would carry home pillowcases stuffed to the max! It was awesome to stuff our faces with tons of chocolate bars and hard candy, and then there was that feeling of accomplishment (on top of aching feet), that we earned this sugar reward.

So of course when my girls were small I paraded them around the neighborhood, collecting treats for not only them but myself as well (ALL parents dip into the candy stash, I don’t care who you are!). They enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, it was a win-win. However, as the years went by and our lifestyle started to change, I found myself sorting through more candy and questioning the ingredients. Obviously candy is loaded with sugar, but on top of that there are additives and chemical dyes which started making me feel uncomfortable.

It wasn’t until going vegan that we decided that we should celebrate Halloween in alternative ways. It wasn’t really worth it anymore to go trick-or-treating, since most of the chocolate contains dairy, and it would be a pain to sort through that much candy. I am still surprised that the major candy companies have not jumped on the opportunity to make dairy-free chocolate bars, not just for vegans but for people with allergies too! So, with that in mind, we have taken the things we like about the holiday, and sculpted it to fit our needs.

My kids still enjoy Halloween, and even though it isn’t the same as my childhood experience, they always have fun and that’s exactly the point! I have found that when you put in the effort to make a holiday special, your children are going to appreciate it, vegan or not.

So, here are some tips for vegan families out there who are looking for ways to make Halloween special and fun for their little monsters…

Celebrate Halloween For Vegan Kids:

Dress up! Even if you decide not to trick-or-treat, let your child dress up for fun.

Do spooky crafts. There are tons of free Halloween craft ideas available online. Pull out the glitter, and let them go to town!

Make a Halloween Cake. Bake boo-licious treats and let your child do the decorating. Surprisingly there are many “accidentally vegan” candies out there (listed below), so you could let them use pre-approved candy to add a special touch.

Watch a holiday themed movie. My favorite Halloween family movie is “Hocus Pocus,” and we watch it every year. Some other movies I enjoy are “The Witches,”“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” and “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad,” plus “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “Watcher in the Woods.” My girls enjoy watching “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble,” which is a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie (my girls are twins, so naturally they love this.) My biggest Halloween request is to be able to buy “Mr. Boogedy,” a classic 80’s movie that is not available on DVD, but you can watch on youtube (I love that I can at least watch it there!). Also available on youtube is “The Halloween that Almost Wasn’t,” a classic 80’s kids flick.

Carve a pumpkin. A Halloween highlight!

Decorate the house. If you are in the Halloween spirit, have your child help you set up not-too-scary decorations.

Give them vegan candy! Even if you don’t go trick-or-treating, that doesn’t mean that you cannot buy candy to give to your kids. Two of my favorite vegan candies: Endangered Species Chocolate Squares (individually wrapped) and Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops. You can order these online or sometimes find them at your local health food store.

Vegan Candy Options:

As I mentioned before, there are many “accidentally vegan” candies out there, so if you want to take your child trick or treating anyway (or pick up a bag at the grocery store) check for these*:

Airheads taffy

Brach’s Cinnamon Hard Candy

Brach’s Hi-C Fruit Slices

Brach’s Hi-C Orange Slices

Brach’s Root Beer Barrels

Brach’s Star Brites

Chocolove Dark Chocolate bar

Chocolove Cherries and Almonds Dark Chocolate Bar

Chocolove Crystallized Ginger Dark Chocolate Bar

Chocolove Orange Peel Dark Chocolate Bar

Chocolove Raspberry Dark Chocolate bar

Chick-o-Sticks

Cry Babies

Dots

Dum-Dums

Fireballs

Hubba Bubba bubblegum

Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy)

Jujubees

Jujyfruits

Laffy Taffy (some varieties)

Lemonheads

Mambas

Mary Janes (regular and peanut butter kisses)

Mike and Ike

Panda Licorice

Runts

Skittles (recently went vegan!)

Smarties (U.S. Brand)

Sour Patch Kids

Super Bubble

Swedish Fish

Sweet Tarts

Twizzlers

Zots

*Double check the ingredients before you purchase. While these may be vegan, some may contain dyes or additives that you are not comfortable eating! Click here for the official list.

Thanks for reading and have a SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What was your favorite part about celebrating Halloween as a child? Share in the comments below!

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I believe that everyone has the ability to enjoy a simple and healthy life, using PLANTS as the magic ingredient anyone can afford. (No skills required and all levels welcome!) That’s why I’m dedicated to providing you with the BEST plant-based recipes and remedies. I want to give you the tools you can use in your own home, applying easy strategies while saving time and money. I know from personal experience (as a mama of three homeschooled rascals), that you have limited hours and resources, and you need QUICK and PRACTICAL information that you can use right away. So are you ready? #allrightythen

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I hadn’t realized so many candies were “accidentally” vegan! It is surprising that more candy companies don’t jump on the dairy-free bandwagon, considering there’s such great alternatives to cow’s milk available!

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Want to Save Time + Get Healthy?

Learn how YOU can be a SMART VEGAN while saving time (and money) with my FREE GUIDE,PLUS get easy vegan recipes and fun announcements in your email inbox when you join the Boho mailing list!

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About Randi Tisdall

I believe that everyone has the ability to enjoy a simple and healthy life, using PLANTS as the magic ingredient anyone can afford. (No skills required and all levels welcome!) That’s why I’m dedicated to providing you with the BEST plant-based recipes and remedies. I want to give you the tools you can use in your own home, applying easy strategies while saving time and money. Read More...